{Blog Tour} Paris Ever After - K.S.R. Burns (Review & Giveaway)

K.S.R. Burns

Paris Ever After

SYNOPSIS

Can Amy’s rocky start in Paris turn into a happy ever after?
Amy didn’t realize how stale her life was until she jetted off to Paris without telling a soul—not even her husband—and had the adventure of a lifetime. Now as she tries to establish herself in the City of Light, she finds that despite a fun (and quirky) group of friends and the ability to indulge in French pastries whenever she wants, reinventing her life is much harder than she imagined.
Then on Amy’s thirtieth birthday, two unexpected visitors leave her wondering if she will soon be saying au revoir to Paris and the new life she’s struggled to build. Her estranged husband, Will, shows up—but is he interested in reconciliation or separation? And a young woman who arrives on Amy’s doorstep unleashes chaos that could push Amy out into the street.
As Amy’s Parisian dream starts to fall apart, she must decide: return to the stability of Will and Phoenix (if that’s even still an option) or forge her way forward in Paris? Amid secrets and surprises, set in enchanting gardens, cozy cafés, and glittering Parisian streets, Amy must choose between two very different worlds. And each has a claim on her heart.
***
NB: The author’s previous book, The Paris Effect, featured here on France Book Tours, was just optioned for Film & TV!

REVIEW

We jump right into the action with Amy and her life in
Paris. I loved that the author went back
and forth in time to give us the details we needed for what happened in the
past. I enjoyed how the story was built so
that I didn’t feel lost or confused on what happened to get Amy to Paris.

I loved Amy right from the beginning of the book! You could
tell she had a complicated story to tell and a complicated life that she
lived. I loved that we got to learn
about her family and the layers began to peel away to see how she ended up in
Paris to begin with. My heart went out
to her and I just wanted what was best for Amy during the entire book. I could see how just up and leaving without
telling your husband is a big issue, but after losing someone very close to you
the grief overcame her. Another factor that played into this was Amy’s
loss of her parents at such a young age.
I couldn’t image losing so many people close to me.

The author does a great job keeping the story moving
along. I enjoyed hearing all about Amy’s
life in Paris. She did a great job not
only describing her location, but also some changes in customs that she must assimilate
to with living in Paris. The author did a great job bringing in life in
Paris where it felt natural in the story.

The conflict built nicely over the story. I enjoyed seeing how everything played out
for everyone in the story. The ending
for this book was perfect!

I would suggest this read as a weekend read. The book was short in nature and an easy
read. I could follow along in the story
with minimal issues. I would have loved to be sitting on a beach enjoying this
book!

I received a copy of this book from France Book tours to provide
an honest review. This does not affect
my opinion of this book.

My Rating: 4/5

EXCERPT

We
step out onto the street, still in silence. I half expect to see Manu pivot on
his heel and stride off down the sidewalk. Or return upstairs to spend the rest
of the evening with Margaret. I wouldn’t put it past him to do all those dishes
by himself.

But
Manu doesn’t leave my side. When a cab pulls up, all three of us pile into the
backseat, me in the middle, and we squeal off, heading west toward the rue de
Rivoli.

As
we speed along, I lean forward to peer out the side windows. This cozy enclosed
spot, though it smells like cigarette smoke, feels like a good place to be
right now. Tomorrow will be soon enough to find out why William has come to
France. Tonight, I’m brimming with a mad joy.

After
all, I’m in Paris.

I’m
home.

Of
course, this is ridiculous. I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and had
never even traveled back East (much less overseas). But the first time I
stepped onto a Paris sidewalk I felt wholly at ease. The sky was the color of
pewter. The streets were shiny jet black from a night of rain. I walked for
miles, sloshing straight through puddles, invincible in my boots and
then-pristine black fingertip-length trench coat. It was, to date, the nicest
walk of my entire life.

We
are rocketing past the long, sober façade of the Louvre when Hervé murmurs a
few words to the driver, who a block later turns right off the rue de Rivoli
and onto the broad avenue de l’Opéra. I scrunch down in my seat to gaze up at
the Opéra Garnier, an ornate square building presiding at the end of the avenue
like an enormous billion-calorie birthday cake.

It’s
funny. You’d think in a crowded metropolis like Paris there wouldn’t be enough
space for you to be able to admire things from a distance. But there is, and
you can. Notre-Dame Cathedral is set on an island in the Seine, the Arc de
Triomphe stands in splendid isolation at the top of the Champs-Elysées, and the
Eiffel Tower can be spotted from all over town. You can turn down some
anonymous little street and be treated to a perfectly framed snapshot view of
an iconic monument, like the Sacré-Coeur or the Panthéon. It pays to keep your
eye out. Be ready to be dazzled, Kat would say.

I’m
wondering if our destination tonight is near the Café de la Paix—the café
someone said the whole world eventually walks by—when our cab veers into the
black maw of a poorly lit side street. All three of us pitch to the right,
briefly pinning me between Hervé’s bony shoulder and Manu’s much more muscular
one. My heart thumps. Without warning, we’ve plunged into one of the dark
narrow lanes that Napoleon III told Baron Haussmann to replace with airy broad
boulevards, all the better to march soldiers down to keep the rabble in line.
Haussmann obviously missed this one. Perhaps barons are just not that reliable.

A
hundred yards later the cab brakes, screeching, and Hervé opens his door before
we’ve even come to a complete stop.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K. S. R. Burns
is the author of the Amazon bestseller,
THE PARIS EFFECT,
its upcoming standalone sequel PARIS EVER AFTER,
and THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF WORKING GIRL:
Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use.
She has lived and worked in four countries and 22 cities,
including Paris.
No longer a wanderer, Burns now resides in the Pacific Northwest,
where in addition to novels
she writes a weekly career advice column for The Seattle Times.
Visit her website.
Follow her on Facebook, Twitter
Subscribe to her newsletterBuy the book: Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | Nook

I can't believe I haven't heard of this book before! I'm all for books with exotic settings so the Paris aspect here is calling to me. Amy also sounds like a great character. I'm curious as to what happens to her relationship after she takes off. Great review!